Electronic control device and environment recognition method

Abstract

This electronic control device comprises: an external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information about the external environment of a vehicle; a determination setting information acquisition unit that acquires determination setting information in which the ability or inability of the vehicle to travel in specific classifications of external environment areas ascertained from the external environment information is prescribed according to a vehicle status that presents the status of the vehicle; and a travelable area generation unit that generates a travelable area, i.e., an area in which the vehicle is capable of travel, for each of a plurality of vehicle statuses on the basis of the external environment information and the determination setting information, and outputs the generated travelable areas.

Description

Electronic control device and environment recognition method

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic control unit and an environment recognition method.

[0002] In recent years, in order to realize comfortable and safe driving assistance and autonomous driving of vehicles, technologies have been proposed that detect fallen objects and the like on the road surface on which the vehicle is traveling and control the vehicle's traveling trajectory. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology that generates a natural target trajectory according to the degree of traveling risk of the vehicle due to road surface obstacles that the vehicle can overcome on the road surface.

[0003] Patent Document 1 states that "the system comprises an information acquisition unit that acquires information about environmental elements around the vehicle, including at least road surface obstacles that the vehicle can overcome on the road surface; a risk map generation unit that generates a risk map that expresses the degree of driving risk for the vehicle at each position around the vehicle based on the information; and a driving control planning unit that determines a driving trajectory for controlling the vehicle's driving based on the risk map, and the driving control planning unit determines the driving trajectory based on the degree of driving risk due to road surface obstacles on the risk map that the vehicle's wheel trajectory passes through on the driving trajectory."

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-83359

[0005] The technology described in Patent Document 1 calculates the driving risk when a vehicle crosses or passes over a road surface obstacle, which is an obstacle that the vehicle can overcome, based on the current vehicle state, and selects a target driving trajectory according to the calculated degree of driving risk. However, in actual driving trajectory planning, the vehicle may not cross or pass over the road surface obstacle in the current vehicle state, but may cross or pass over the road surface obstacle by changing the vehicle state, such as by decelerating through vehicle control.

[0006] Therefore, the method of calculating the driving risk level based on the current vehicle state described in Patent Document 1 cannot calculate the driving risk in the vehicle state after control, taking vehicle control into consideration.As a result, the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot plan a driving trajectory that takes vehicle control into consideration, which limits the options for driving trajectories and raises the risk of not being able to select a safe driving trajectory that takes vehicle control into consideration.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to enable a host vehicle to travel safely in consideration of the vehicle state after vehicle control.

[0008] The electronic control device of the present invention includes an external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information related to the external environment of the vehicle, a judgment setting information acquisition unit that acquires judgment setting information that determines whether the vehicle can be driven for each type of external environment area identified by the external environment information depending on the vehicle state that represents the state of the vehicle, and a drivable area generation unit that generates a drivable area, which is an area in which the vehicle can be driven, for each of a plurality of vehicle states based on the external environment information and the judgment setting information, and outputs the drivable area.

[0009] According to the present invention, a drivable area of ​​the host vehicle is generated based on the vehicle state after vehicle control, and is output, thereby enabling the host vehicle to travel safely. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become clear from the description of the following embodiments.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of an electronic control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and a hardware configuration example related to the electronic control unit. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a connection configuration of an electronic control unit, a group of external sensors, a group of vehicle sensors, and a vehicle control unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a processing unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a determination setting information table according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a drivable area generation condition determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a drive plan processing according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing specific processing of a processing unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a processing unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of a processing unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a future vehicle state estimation table according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a vehicle state estimation parameter setting table according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a drive plan-specific vehicle state estimation parameter setting table according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a drive plan-specific vehicle state estimation parameter setting table according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a driveable area generation process according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions or configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. The present invention is applicable to, for example, a computing device for vehicle control capable of communicating with an on-board ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) or Autonomous Driving (AD).

[0012] First Embodiment First, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electronic control device according to the first embodiment and hardware related to the electronic control device.

[0013] 1, a vehicle 1 includes an electronic control unit 2, an external sensor group 3, and a vehicle sensor group 4. In the following description, the vehicle 1 is an example of a host vehicle on which the electronic control unit 2 is mounted.

[0014] The electronic control unit 2 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that performs calculations for driving assistance and driving control of the vehicle 1. The electronic control unit 2 has a function of controlling various operations of the vehicle 1, including driving.

[0015] The external sensor group 3 includes external sensors such as radar and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), and acquires external information related to the outside of the vehicle 1. An example of the external information acquired by the external sensor group 3 is called external sensor information. The external sensor information is also information that represents the environment in which the vehicle 1 is traveling. The vehicle sensor group 4 detects the vehicle state, such as the speed of the vehicle 1.

[0016] The electronic control unit 2, the group of external sensors 3, and the group of vehicle sensors 4 are connected to one another via a common bus 5. Therefore, the electronic control unit 2, the group of external sensors 3, and the group of vehicle sensors 4 can transmit information to one another via the common bus 5.

[0017] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a connection configuration of the electronic control unit 2, the external sensor group 3, the vehicle sensor group 4, and the vehicle control unit 20. The electronic control unit 2 generates vehicle control information for controlling the traveling of the vehicle 1 for driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle 1, based on various input information provided from the external sensor group 3 and the vehicle sensor group 4. The electronic control unit 2 includes a processing unit 6 and a storage unit 7.

[0018] The processing unit 6 is configured to include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a central processing unit. However, in addition to the CPU, the processing unit 6 may also include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc., or may be configured with only one of them. The processing unit 6 recognizes the environment around the vehicle 1 using an environment recognition method shown in each flowchart described below, and causes the vehicle control unit 20 to perform vehicle control that allows the vehicle 1 to travel safely based on the recognized environment.

[0019] The storage unit 7 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flexible disk, an optical disk, or a non-volatile memory. The storage unit 7 stores an operating system (OS), various parameters, and programs for causing the electronic control unit 2 to function. The storage unit 7 also stores programs and data necessary for the processing unit 6 to operate. In other words, the storage unit 7 is used as an example of a computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium that stores programs executed by the electronic control unit 2.

[0020] When the vehicle control unit 20 receives the vehicle control information from the processing unit 6, it outputs control signals to, for example, an actuator for controlling the running of the vehicle 1, a battery control unit, an engine control unit, a steering control unit, etc. In this way, the vehicle control unit 20 safely controls the vehicle 1.

[0021] 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the processing unit 6 according to the first embodiment. The processing unit 6 has, as its functions, an external sensor information acquisition unit 8, a vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9, a road obstacle recognition unit 10, a drivable area generation condition determination unit 11, a drivable area generation unit 12, and a driving plan unit 13.

[0022] The external sensor information acquisition unit 8 is used as an example of an external information acquisition unit that acquires external sensor information detected by the external sensor group 3 via the common bus 5 connected to the electronic control unit 2. The external sensors include, for example, one or more cameras that capture images of the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle 1, radar that emits radio waves to measure the distance and direction to an object, and LiDAR that emits laser light to measure the distance and shape of an object.

[0023] The vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9 acquires vehicle sensor information detected by the vehicle sensor group 4 via the common bus 5 connected to the electronic control unit 2. The vehicle sensor information is information that represents the current vehicle state of the vehicle 1, and therefore the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9 is used as an example of a vehicle state acquisition unit. The vehicle sensor group 4 includes, for example, a speed sensor that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle 1, a steering angle sensor that measures the steering angle of the steering wheel, and the like.

[0024] The road obstacle recognition unit 10 outputs road obstacle information for recognizing road obstacles that the vehicle can overcome on the road surface and road obstacle recognition information representing road obstacles recognized based on external sensor information. For example, the road obstacle recognition unit 10 identifies the type, position, size, movement, etc. of the road obstacle based on the external sensor information acquired by the external sensor information acquisition unit 8 and the road obstacle information held within the road obstacle recognition unit 10, and recognizes the road obstacle. In this specification, among the environmental elements present around the vehicle 1, those that the vehicle 1 cannot cross or overcome are defined as "obstacles," and those that the vehicle 1 can cross and overcome are defined as "road obstacles." Information on road obstacles recognized by the road obstacle recognition unit 10 is referred to as "road obstacle recognition information."

[0025] Here, "straddle" means that an environmental element present on the road surface passes under the body of the vehicle 1 while the vehicle 1 is traveling, causing the vehicle 1 to pass over the environmental element. In other words, it is not necessary for the wheels of the vehicle 1 to go over the environmental element; the environmental element may pass under the body of the vehicle 1 by passing between the wheels of the vehicle 1. Road surface obstacle information is information that links patterns of sensor information such as images and point clouds with the shape or characteristics of road surface obstacles, and is used to recognize road surface obstacles.

[0026] The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 determines drivable area generation conditions that define the range of vehicle states when generating a drivable area. To this end, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 specifies the vehicle states of the vehicle 1 that are necessary for the drivable area generation process in the drivable area generation unit 12. The vehicle states are expressed by vehicle state types such as the traveling speed, acceleration, and steering angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle 1, and numerical values ​​that represent the magnitudes of these types.

[0027] The drivable area generation unit 12 generates a drivable area based on the external sensor information, the road obstacle recognition information, and the drivable area generation conditions. At this time, the drivable area generation unit 12 generates a drivable area in which the vehicle can travel, for example, by using an internally stored determination setting information table T1 (see FIG. 4 ). The drivable area generation unit 12 then outputs the generated drivable area to the drive plan unit 13.

[0028] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the determination setting information table T1. The determination setting information table T1 has the following items: road obstacle type T1a, vehicle state type T1b, and driving enable condition T1c.

[0029] The road surface obstacle type T1a field stores types of road surface obstacles such as bumps, puddles, 10% uphill slopes, and frozen roads. If the driver of the vehicle 1 cannot see the road conditions ahead due to the road surface gradient, the vehicle 1 can travel safely by reducing its speed. Such road surface gradients are also set as types of road surface obstacles.

[0030] The vehicle condition type T1b field stores vehicle condition types such as speed, speed (engine revolutions per minute), steering angle, and acceleration. The driving condition T1c field stores vehicle condition types such as speed of 40 km / h or less, steering angle of ±20 degrees or less, and acceleration of ±0.5 m / s. ２ The following driving conditions are stored:

[0031] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the first embodiment. The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 statically determines one vehicle state to be stored internally and outputs the determined vehicle state as a drivable area generation condition (S1). Neither external sensor information nor vehicle sensor information is input to the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 statically determines one vehicle state, such as a traveling speed or acceleration. This method of determining a vehicle state is referred to as "statically determining a vehicle state." For example, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 always fixes the speed of the vehicle 1 to 40 km / h and determines the drivable area generation condition for a speed of 40 km / h.

[0032] 3, the description will be continued. The driveable area generation process performed by the driveable area generation unit 12 uses the external sensor information acquired by the external sensor information acquisition unit 8, road surface obstacle recognition information, vehicle state information determined by the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11, and a judgment setting information table T1 stored internally in the driveable area generation unit 12.

[0033] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the drivable area generation process. This process is performed by the drivable area generation unit 12 according to the first embodiment. First, the drivable area generation unit 12 acquires external sensor information, road obstacle recognition information, and vehicle state information (S11). Next, the drivable area generation unit 12 compares the vehicle state and drivable conditions for the road obstacle recognition information based on the determination setting information table T1, and obtains a result of whether or not the vehicle is drivable in response to the road obstacle (S12).

[0034] For example, if the road surface obstacle type indicated in the road surface obstacle recognition information is a puddle and the vehicle state type is speed, the determination setting information table T1 indicates that the driving condition is 60 km / h or less. Therefore, if the vehicle 1 exceeds 60 km / h, it is not allowed to drive, and if the vehicle 1 is 60 km / h or less, it is allowed to drive.

[0035] Next, the drivable area generation unit 12 generates a drivable area based on the external sensor information, road surface obstacle recognition information, and the drivability result for each road surface obstacle (S13). For example, if the drivability result indicates drivability, the drivable area of ​​the vehicle 1 is generated in the direction of traveling straight along the current lane. Finally, the drivable area generation unit 12 outputs the generated drivable area to the driving plan unit 13 (S14). The driving plan unit 13 generates a driving plan for the vehicle 1 based on the current vehicle state of the vehicle 1 and the drivable area.

[0036] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a driving plan process. This process is performed by the driving plan unit 13 according to the first embodiment. First, the driving plan unit 13 acquires vehicle sensor information from the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9, and acquires information on the driving area from the driving area generation unit 12 (S21). Next, the driving plan unit 13 generates a driving trajectory candidate (S22). At this time, any method for generating the driving trajectory candidate is acceptable. For example, a driving trajectory in which the vehicle 1 travels straight in the lane in which it is currently traveling, or a driving trajectory in which the vehicle 1 changes lanes, etc., is generated as the driving trajectory candidate.

[0037] Next, the driving planner 13 refers to the drivable area and determines whether each of the driving trajectory candidates is feasible (S23). For example, a driving trajectory included in the drivable area is determined to be feasible, and a driving trajectory not included in the drivable area is determined to be infeasible.

[0038] Next, the driving planner 13 selects one driving trajectory from among the feasible driving trajectories in accordance with selection criteria such as safety (S24). For example, even if a driving trajectory is included in the drivable area, if it is predicted that a vehicle traveling parallel to the vehicle in another lane will enter the driving trajectory, the driving trajectory is not selected from the viewpoint of safety.

[0039] Next, the driving planner 13 generates vehicle control information based on the vehicle state (e.g., speed, steering angle, acceleration, etc.) specified by the driving area generation condition determiner 11 in the driving area generation process shown in Fig. 6 and the current vehicle state acquired from the vehicle sensor information (S25). For example, if the driving area referred to by the driving planner 13 in step S23 was generated under a vehicle state of 50 km / h, it is unclear whether the vehicle can be driven at speeds other than 50 km / h, so the driving planner 13 generates vehicle control information for controlling the vehicle 1 to drive at a speed of 50 km / h or less.

[0040] Finally, the driving planner 13 outputs the generated vehicle control information to the vehicle controller 20 (S26). This vehicle control information is output information of the electronic control device 2. The vehicle control information is output to the vehicle controller 20 shown in Fig. 1. The vehicle controller 20 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the input vehicle control information.

[0041] 8 is a diagram showing a specific processing state of the processing unit 6 according to the first embodiment. Currently, vehicle 1 is traveling at 80 km / h on a two-lane road, and vehicle 31 is traveling alongside in the adjacent lane, also at 80 km / h. Note that vehicles 1 and 31 are traveling in the direction indicated by the white arrows in the figure.

[0042] First, the road obstacle recognition unit 10 recognizes a puddle 32 ahead of the vehicle 1 based on external sensor information and road obstacle information. Next, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 outputs a static speed of 50 km / h as a drivable area generation condition, as a vehicle state to be held internally.

[0043] Next, the drivable area generating unit 12 refers to the judgment setting information table T1 shown in FIG. 4 and generates a drivable area taking into consideration that the vehicle 1 can travel through the puddle 32 at a speed of 50 km / h.

[0044] Next, the driving planner 13 generates driving paths 33 and 34 as candidate driving paths for the vehicle 1. Then, the driving planner 13 determines that the vehicle 1 can travel on both driving paths 33 and 34. For example, the driving planner 13 selects the driving path 34 taking into consideration the risk of collision with the vehicle 31 when the vehicle 1 changes lanes. The driving planner 13 also outputs vehicle control information to satisfy the 50 km / h speed, which was a drivable area generation condition. As a result, the vehicle 1 can travel on the driving path 34, which passes through the puddle 32.

[0045] If vehicle 31 is not traveling close to vehicle 1, it is also possible to select a travel trajectory 33 that avoids puddle 32. In this case, the travel planning unit 13 determines a travel trajectory in order of priority, namely, safety, ride comfort, and fuel efficiency. For example, if it is better for vehicle 1 not to pass through puddle 32 from the viewpoint of safety, then the travel planning unit 13 selects a travel trajectory 33 that avoids puddle 32.

[0046] On the other hand, if safety is sufficiently ensured, staying in the lane provides a more comfortable ride than changing lanes, so the travel planning unit 13 selects a travel trajectory 34 that passes through puddles 32. Furthermore, if the ride comfort does not change, the travel planning unit 13 selects a travel trajectory that does not worsen fuel economy. Although not shown in this example, for example, since sudden acceleration generally increases fuel consumption and tends to worsen fuel economy, a travel trajectory that allows vehicle control to gradually accelerate is selected.

[0047] The configuration of the processing unit 6 according to the first embodiment described above makes it possible to calculate a drivable area for a vehicle trajectory that is different from the current trajectory. Therefore, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 can select a trajectory on which the vehicle can travel under specified vehicle state conditions. Furthermore, since the vehicle control targets are also determined using the vehicle state conditions specified by the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11, the driving planner 13 can execute a driving plan that takes vehicle control into consideration.

[0048] Conventionally, a driving trajectory that avoids the puddle 32 shown in Fig. 8 has been determined in the driving plan. On the other hand, the processing unit 6 according to the first embodiment determines in the driving plan a driving trajectory that overcomes the puddle 32 if the puddle 32 can be overcome by reducing the speed of the vehicle 1. In particular, when there is another vehicle 31 traveling parallel to the vehicle 1, the vehicle 1 will not suddenly change lanes, and the vehicle 1 will be able to safely drive over the puddle 32.

[0049] [Second embodiment] Next, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration example of a processing unit 6A according to the second embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 8 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] The processing unit 6A includes a road surface obstacle information acquisition unit 14 and a judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 in addition to the functional units of the processing unit 6 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 3. The road surface obstacle information acquisition unit 14 acquires road surface obstacle information stored in the storage unit 7. The processing by the road surface obstacle information acquisition unit 14 is performed when a device (for example, a PC (Personal Computer)) provided outside the vehicle 1 updates the road surface obstacle information stored in the storage unit 7.

[0051] The road obstacle recognition unit 10 according to the second embodiment acquires road obstacle information from the road obstacle information acquisition unit 14, and acquires external sensor information from the external sensor information acquisition unit 8. The determination setting information acquisition unit 15 acquires determination setting information that determines whether the vehicle 1 can travel for each type of external area identified by the external sensor information in accordance with the vehicle state that represents the state of the vehicle 1.

[0052] For example, the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 acquires the judgment setting information from the judgment setting information table T1A stored in the storage unit 7. The judgment setting information table T1A is a table configured with the same items as the judgment setting information table T1 shown in Fig. 4. When a device provided outside the vehicle 1 updates the judgment setting information in the judgment setting information table T1A stored in the storage unit 7, the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 performs a process of acquiring the judgment setting information from the judgment setting information table T1A.

[0053] The drivable area generation unit 12 according to the second embodiment generates a drivable area, which is an area in which the vehicle 1 can travel, for each of a plurality of vehicle states, based on external sensor information and judgment setting information. The drivable area generation unit 12 then outputs the drivable area to the driving plan unit 13. To this end, the drivable area generation unit 12 acquires the judgment setting information of the judgment setting information table T1A from the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15. The judgment setting information table T1 held internally by the drivable area generation unit 12 is updated by the judgment setting information of the judgment setting information table T1 acquired by the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 from the storage unit 7.

[0054] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6A according to the second embodiment described above, a device external to the vehicle 1 accesses the storage unit 7 via wired or wireless communication to update at least one of the judgment setting information table T1A and the road obstacle information. The drivable area generation unit 12 then updates the judgment setting information table T1 using the judgment setting information in the updated judgment setting information table T1A. The road obstacle recognition unit 10 also updates the road obstacle information it holds using the updated road obstacle information. Therefore, the road obstacle recognition unit 10 compares the appearance sensor information with the updated road obstacle information and outputs the recognized road obstacle to the drivable area generation unit 12 as road obstacle recognition information.

[0055] The drivable area generating unit 12 generates the drivable area based on the updated judgment setting information table T1 and the road surface obstacle recognition information. Therefore, the drivable area is based on the road surface obstacles appropriately recognized by the road surface obstacle recognizing unit 10.

[0056] In addition, a device installed outside the vehicle 1 can easily update the road surface obstacle information held internally by the road surface obstacle recognition unit 10 and the judgment setting information table T1 held internally by the drivable area generation unit 12 via the memory unit 7.

[0057] [Third Embodiment] Next, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration example of a processing unit 6B according to the third embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 9 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0058] The processing unit 6B according to the third embodiment has the same configuration as the processing unit 6 shown in Fig. 3. However, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 receives input of vehicle sensor information from the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9.

[0059] Furthermore, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the third embodiment holds a future vehicle state estimation table T2 (see FIG. 11 ) and a vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 (see FIG. 12 ). The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 uses these tables to dynamically determine the drivable area generation conditions based on the current vehicle state obtained from vehicle sensor information. The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 may hold the future vehicle state estimation table T2 and the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 itself, or may read out the values ​​of each table stored in the storage unit 7.

[0060] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the future vehicle state estimation table T2. The future vehicle state estimation table T2 has items for a vehicle state type T2a and an estimation formula T2b. The item for vehicle state type T2a stores vehicle state types such as speed, steering angle, and acceleration. The item for estimation formula T2b stores an estimation formula for the future vehicle state for each vehicle state type. Various vehicle state estimation parameters (e.g., V1, θ1, A1, etc.) included in the estimation formula are all future vehicle state estimation parameters. The future vehicle state estimation parameters are set using a vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 (FIG. 12, which will be described later).

[0061] 12 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3. The vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 has an item for vehicle state estimation parameters. The vehicle state estimation parameters store values ​​of the vehicle state estimation parameters included in the estimation formula of the future vehicle state estimation table T2. For example, the speed V1 is -10 km / h, and the speed V2 is 10 km / h. The steering angle θ1 is -5 degrees, and the steering angle θ2 is +5 degrees. The acceleration A1 is -5 m / s ２ and the acceleration A2 is 5 m / s ２ is.

[0062] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a driveable area generation condition determination process according to the third embodiment. This process is performed by the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the third embodiment.

[0063] First, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 acquires vehicle sensor information from the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9 (S31). Next, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 calculates the current vehicle state based on the vehicle sensor information (S32).

[0064] Next, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 refers to the future vehicle state estimation table T2 (see FIG. 11 ) based on the calculated current vehicle state, and estimates possible vehicle states up to, for example, 10 seconds into the future (S33). In this estimation process, the vehicle state estimation parameters stored in the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 are applied to the estimation formula stored in the future vehicle state estimation table T2, and the future vehicle state is estimated.

[0065] Finally, the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 determines the vehicle state that is estimated to be most likely to occur, and outputs the vehicle state to the drive plan unit 13 (S34). The drive plan unit 13 generates a drive plan based on the vehicle sensor information and the vehicle state, and outputs vehicle control information to the vehicle control unit 20.

[0066] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6B according to the third embodiment described above, it is possible to estimate future possible vehicle states based on the current vehicle state. Therefore, the processing unit 6B can dynamically generate a drivable area for a vehicle state that is considered to be important for a driving plan.

[0067] [Fourth embodiment] First, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit 6C according to the fourth embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 12 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0068] A processing unit 6C according to the fourth embodiment has the same configuration as the processing unit 6 shown in Fig. 3. However, the information received by the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 is different. A driving planner 13 according to the fourth embodiment outputs driving plan information to the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11. In addition, the driving planner 13 outputs vehicle control information to the vehicle control unit 20.

[0069] The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the fourth embodiment receives input of vehicle sensor information from the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9, and receives input of driving plan information from the driving plan unit 13. The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 determines the driving area generation conditions that define the range of the vehicle state at the time of generating the driving area. That is, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 determines the driving area generation conditions based on the current vehicle state of the vehicle 1 and the driving plan for the vehicle 1 acquired from the driving plan unit 13.

[0070] For example, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 stores a future vehicle state estimation table T2 (see FIG. 11) and a driving plan-specific vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4 (see FIG. 15). This allows the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 to dynamically determine the drivable area generation conditions based on the current vehicle state obtained from vehicle sensor information and the future vehicle state estimation table T2. Furthermore, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 can dynamically determine the vehicle information estimation parameters based on the driving plan information and the driving plan-specific vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4.

[0071] 15 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4 for each driving plan. The vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4 for each driving plan holds the values ​​of the vehicle state estimation parameters included in the estimation formula of the future vehicle state estimation table T2. The vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4 for each driving plan has fields for driving plan T4a, speed T4b, steering angle T4c, and acceleration T4d.

[0072] The travel plan T4a field stores vehicle travel plans such as going straight, decelerating, and turning right. Vehicle state estimation parameters are set for each of the travel plan T4a, speed T4b, steering angle T4c, and acceleration T4d fields for each travel plan. The contents of the vehicle state estimation parameters are the same as those described with reference to the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T3 of FIG. 12.

[0073] 16 is a flowchart showing an example of a driving plan process. This process is performed by the driving planner 13 according to the fourth embodiment. Note that steps S21 to S25 are the same as the processes performed by the driving planner 13 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. 7, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted. After step S25, the driving planner 13 outputs the vehicle control information generated in step S25 to the vehicle control unit 20, and outputs the driving plan information to the driving area generation condition determiner 11 (S26A), and ends this process.

[0074] 17 is a flowchart showing an example of a driveable area generation condition determination process. This process is performed by the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the fourth embodiment. First, the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 acquires vehicle sensor information from the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9, and acquires driving plan information from the driving plan unit 13 (S31A). Next, the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 calculates the current vehicle state from the vehicle sensor information (S32).

[0075] Next, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 refers to the future vehicle state estimation table T2 and the vehicle state estimation parameter setting table T4 for each driving plan based on the current vehicle state and driving plan information, and estimates the vehicle state that can be assumed up to, for example, 10 seconds into the future (S33A).

[0076] Finally, the driveable area generation condition determination unit 11 determines the vehicle state that is estimated to be most likely to occur, and outputs the vehicle state to the drive plan unit 13 (S34). The drive plan unit 13 generates a drive plan based on the vehicle sensor information and the vehicle state, and outputs vehicle control information to the vehicle control unit 20.

[0077] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6C according to the fourth embodiment described above, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 estimates possible future vehicle states with high accuracy based on the driving plan in addition to the current vehicle state. This enables the drivable area generation unit 12 to dynamically generate a drivable area for vehicle states that are considered important for the driving plan.

[0078] [Fifth Embodiment] Next, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 18. Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit 6D according to the fifth embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 19 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0079] A processing unit 6D according to the fifth embodiment has the same configuration as the processing unit 6 shown in Fig. 3. However, the processing unit 6D differs from the processing unit 6 shown in Fig. 3 in that a drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 of the processing unit 6D determines a plurality of drivable area generation conditions and outputs them to a drivable area generation unit 12.

[0080] The drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 according to the fifth embodiment determines a plurality of drivable area generation conditions taking into consideration, for example, safety, ride comfort, fuel efficiency, etc., and outputs the determined conditions to the drivable area generation unit 12. The drivable area generation unit 12 generates a plurality of drivable areas for each of the plurality of drivable area generation conditions. For example, the drivable area generation unit 12 generates drivable areas at speeds of 20 km / h, 30 km / h, and 40 km / h. The drivable area generation unit 12 outputs the generated drivable areas for the plurality of drivable area generation conditions to the driving plan unit 13.

[0081] The driving planner 13 determines a driving plan based on external sensor information, road surface obstacle recognition information that recognizes road surface obstacles that the vehicle 1 can overcome on the road surface, and a plurality of drivable areas. For example, the driving planner 13 plans a trajectory along which the vehicle 1 should travel, based on the plurality of drivable areas input from the drivable area generator 12. The driving planner 13 also generates vehicle control information for the vehicle 1 for the planned trajectory, and outputs the vehicle control information to the vehicle control unit 20.

[0082] 19 is a flowchart showing an example of the driveable area generation process according to the fifth embodiment. This process is performed by the driveable area generation unit 12 according to the fifth embodiment. In this process, step S15 is added between steps S11 and S12. Furthermore, step S16 is added between steps S13 and S14A.

[0083] First, the drivable area generating unit 12 acquires external sensor information, road obstacle recognition information, and vehicle state information (S11). Next, the drivable area generating unit 12 selects one of the plurality of vehicle state information (S15).

[0084] Next, the drivable area generating unit 12 compares the drivable conditions with the vehicle state selected in step S15 based on the judgment setting information table T1 (see FIG. 4) for the road surface obstacle recognition information, and obtains a drivable / non-drivable result for each road surface obstacle (S12). Next, the drivable area generating unit 12 generates a drivable area based on the external sensor information, the road surface obstacle recognition information, and the drivable / non-drivable result for each road surface obstacle (S13).

[0085] Next, the drivable area generation unit 12 checks whether or not a drivable area has been generated for all of the plurality of vehicle state information (S16). If the drivable area generation unit 12 has not generated a drivable area for all of the plurality of vehicle state information (NO in S16), the process returns to step S15 and is repeated. For example, the drivable area generation unit 12 counts up the IDs assigned to the vehicle state information in order from ID=1, and repeats the process of selecting a vehicle state until it reaches the vehicle state information of the last ID.

[0086] On the other hand, if the drivable area generation unit 12 has generated drivable areas for all of the multiple pieces of vehicle state information (YES in S16), the process proceeds to step S14 A. Finally, the drivable area generation unit 12 outputs all of the generated multiple drivable areas to the driving plan unit 13 (S14 A), and the process ends.

[0087] The driving planner 13 according to the fifth embodiment plans a trajectory along which the vehicle 1 should travel, based on the plurality of drivable areas generated by the drivable area generator 12, and generates vehicle control information for the trajectory. The trajectory along which the vehicle 1 should travel is selected taking into consideration safety, ride comfort, fuel economy, etc. The driving planner 13 then outputs the vehicle control information to the vehicle controller 20.

[0088] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6D according to the fifth embodiment described above, the drivable area generation condition determination unit 11 generates multiple vehicle states for one vehicle 1, and the drivable area generation unit 12 generates multiple drivable areas based on the multiple vehicle states. The driving planner 13 can create a driving plan that takes multiple vehicle controls into consideration based on the multiple drivable areas. This increases the number of driving trajectories that the driving planner 13 can select. Furthermore, when driving safety is considered as a criterion for selecting a driving trajectory, the driving planner 13 is more likely to select a safer driving trajectory.

[0089] [Sixth embodiment] Next, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit 6E according to the sixth embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 19 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0090] A processing unit 6E according to the sixth embodiment includes a control result monitoring unit 16 in addition to the configuration of the processing unit 6 shown in Fig. 3. The control result monitoring unit 16 monitors the control results of the vehicle 1 based on external sensor information, the vehicle state, and the driving plan. For example, the control result monitoring unit 16 receives external sensor information from the external sensor information acquisition unit 8 and receives driving plan information from the driving plan unit 13.

[0091] At this time, the control result monitoring unit 16 also receives vehicle sensor information from the driving plan unit 13. Based on the received external sensor information, vehicle sensor information, and driving plan information, the control result monitoring unit 16 monitors the impact of the vehicle control results based on the driving plan on the vehicle 1 or the driver. In addition, the control result monitoring unit 16 outputs determination setting information reflecting the monitoring results to the driving area generation unit 12.

[0092] The drivable area generating unit 12 updates the judgment setting information stored therein based on the control results of the vehicle 1. For example, when the vehicle 1 passes over a bump, which is a road obstacle, the control result monitoring unit 16 acquires vehicle sensor information including the results of measurements of the vibration of the vehicle 1 by the vehicle sensor group 4. When the vibration of the vehicle 1 exceeds a predetermined vibration upper limit, the control result monitoring unit 16 updates the judgment setting information, such as by lowering the speed threshold of the bump.

[0093] The update to lower the speed threshold for bumps is performed on the drivable condition items in the judgment setting information table T1 held by the drivable area generation unit 12. The drivable area generated by the drivable area generation unit 12, the driving plan generated by the driving plan unit 13, and the vehicle control information are all based on the updated judgment setting information table T1. As a result, the vehicle control unit 20 reduces the speed of the controlled vehicle 1 when passing over a bump.

[0094] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6E according to the sixth embodiment described above, the control result monitoring unit 16 can monitor the impact of the vehicle control results on the vehicle 1 or the driver, and can update the judgment setting information based on criteria such as safety and ride comfort. The drivable area generating unit 12 generates a drivable area based on the updated judgment setting information. The driving planner 13 can generate a driving plan optimized for the state of the driver or the vehicle 1 based on the updated judgment setting information.

[0095] Road surface obstacles to which the present invention can be applied include, in addition to the bumps mentioned above, puddles, frozen road surfaces, uphill slopes, the tops of uphill slopes, potholes, ruts, and the like.

[0096] In addition, vehicle conditions to which the present invention can be applied include vehicle position, driving speed, acceleration, steering wheel angle, yaw rate, roll angle, pitch angle, accelerator operation amount, brake operation amount, vehicle weight, vehicle shape, tire condition, etc.

[0097] [Seventh embodiment] Next, a configuration example of an electronic control device according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a processing unit 6F according to the seventh embodiment. Note that parts having the same reference numerals as those shown in Figs. 1 to 20 are similar parts, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0098] 20 , the processing unit 6F according to the seventh embodiment includes a determination setting information acquisition unit 15. The determination setting information acquisition unit 15 acquires determination setting information from a determination setting information table T1A configured in the storage unit 7, and outputs the determination setting information to the drivable area generation unit 12.

[0099] The control result monitoring unit 16 monitors the control results of the vehicle 1 based on the external sensor information and the vehicle state, and updates the determination setting information in the storage unit based on the control results. For example, the control result monitoring unit 16 receives external sensor information acquired by the external sensor information acquisition unit 8 and vehicle sensor information acquired by the vehicle sensor information acquisition unit 9 as input, and monitors the control results of the vehicle 1 based on the external sensor information and the vehicle sensor information. The control result monitoring unit 16 also updates the determination setting information table T1A configured in the storage unit 7.

[0100] The judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 acquires the updated judgment setting information from the storage unit 7. The driveable area generation unit 12 updates the judgment setting information it holds based on the judgment setting information updated based on the control result. That is, the judgment setting information in the judgment setting information table T1 held by the driveable area generation unit 12 is updated by the judgment setting information in the judgment setting information table T1A acquired by the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 from the storage unit 7.

[0101] For example, when the vehicle 1 travels over a bump at a speed of 40 km / h, the control result monitoring unit 16 acquires vibration information from the vehicle sensor group 4. If this vibration information exceeds a certain value determined in consideration of ride comfort, the travel planning unit 13 updates the travelable condition for the bump to 30 km / h.

[0102] According to the configuration of the processing unit 6F according to the seventh embodiment described above, the control result monitoring unit 16 monitors the control results of the vehicle 1 based on external sensor information and vehicle sensor information. This makes it possible to immediately determine whether the vehicle 1 is traveling stably. Furthermore, when the judgment setting information table T1A configured in the storage unit 7 is updated with control result information, the judgment setting information acquisition unit 15 acquires the updated judgment setting information and outputs the updated judgment setting information to the drivable area generation unit 12. This causes the drivable area generation unit 12 to update its own judgment setting information table T1 with the updated judgment setting information. As a result, the driving planner 13 can create a driving plan that is tailored to the environment in which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0103] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various other applications and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiments provide detailed and specific descriptions of the system configuration in order to clearly explain the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to systems that include all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of the present embodiments with other configurations. Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those considered necessary for explanation, and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all configurations are interconnected.

[0104] 1...vehicle, 2...electronic control device, 3...group of external sensors, 4...group of vehicle sensors, 6 to 6F...processing unit, 7...storage unit, 8...external sensor information acquisition unit, 9...vehicle sensor information acquisition unit, 10...road obstacle recognition unit, 11...drivable area generation condition determination unit, 12...drivable area generation unit, 13...travel planning unit, 14...road obstacle information acquisition unit, 15...judgment setting information acquisition unit, 16...control result monitoring unit, 20...vehicle control unit, T1, T1A...judgment setting information table, T2...vehicle state estimation table, T3...vehicle state estimation parameter setting table, T4...vehicle state estimation parameter setting table for each travel plan

Claims

1. An electronic control device comprising: an external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information relating to the environment outside the host vehicle; a judgment setting information acquisition unit that acquires judgment setting information that determines whether the host vehicle can travel for each type of external environment area identified in the external environment information according to a vehicle state that represents the state of the host vehicle; and a drivable area generation unit that generates a drivable area, which is an area in which the host vehicle can travel, for each of a plurality of vehicle states based on the external environment information and the judgment setting information, and outputs the drivable area.

2. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a drivable area generation condition determination unit that determines drivable area generation conditions that define the range of the vehicle state when generating the drivable area, and the drivable area generation unit generates the drivable area based on the external environment information, the judgment setting information, and the drivable area generation conditions.

3. An electronic control device according to claim 2, further comprising a vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires the current vehicle state of the host vehicle, and wherein the drivable area generation condition determination unit determines the drivable area generation condition based on the current vehicle state of the host vehicle.

4. An electronic control device as described in claim 2, further comprising a road obstacle recognition unit that outputs road obstacle information for recognizing road obstacles that the vehicle can overcome on the road surface and road obstacle recognition information that represents the road obstacles recognized based on the external environment information, and wherein the drivable area generation unit generates the drivable area based on the external environment information, the road obstacle recognition information, and the drivable area generation conditions.

5. The electronic control device according to claim 2, further comprising: a vehicle state acquisition unit that acquires the current vehicle state of the host vehicle; and a driving plan unit that generates a driving plan for the host vehicle based on the current vehicle state of the host vehicle and the drivable area.

6. An electronic control device as described in claim 5, further comprising a drivable area generation condition determination unit that determines drivable area generation conditions that define the range of the vehicle state at the time of generating the drivable area, and the drivable area generation condition determination unit determines the drivable area generation conditions based on the current vehicle state of the host vehicle and the driving plan of the host vehicle acquired from the driving plan unit.

7. The electronic control device described in claim 6, wherein the drivable area generation condition determination unit determines a plurality of the drivable area generation conditions, the drivable area generation unit generates a plurality of the drivable areas for each of the plurality of the drivable area generation conditions, and the driving plan unit determines the driving plan based on the external environment information, road surface obstacle recognition information that recognizes road surface obstacles that the vehicle can overcome on the road surface, and the plurality of the drivable areas.

8. An electronic control device as described in claim 5, further comprising a control result monitoring unit that monitors the control results of the vehicle based on the external information, the vehicle state, and the driving plan, and the drivable area generation unit updates the judgment setting information based on the control results.

9. An electronic control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a control result monitoring unit that monitors the control results of the vehicle based on the external information and the vehicle state and updates the judgment setting information in the memory unit based on the control results, wherein the judgment setting information acquisition unit acquires the updated judgment setting information from the memory unit, and the drivable area generation unit updates the judgment setting information it holds based on the judgment setting information updated by the control results.

10. An environmental recognition method executed by a computer, comprising: a step of acquiring external environment information relating to the outside of a host vehicle; a step of acquiring judgment setting information that determines whether the host vehicle can travel for each type of external area grasped in the external environment information according to a vehicle state that represents the state of the host vehicle; and a step of generating a drivable area, which is an area in which the host vehicle can travel, for each of a plurality of vehicle states based on the external environment information and the judgment setting information, and outputting the drivable area.

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